Best in Craft awarded to Katlego Baaitse from Burley Boys AND monde like the world from The Rudeboy Collective

As things slowly but surely seem to be getting back to ‘normal’, there’s no better time to celebrate our damn sexy and talented industry than by handing out awards! April’s IDIDTHAT Craft Awards were independently judged by two of our very finest – Director extraordinaire, Greg Gray from Romance Films and Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel, Mr surfs up, Jake Bester.

‘What are the IDIDTHAT Craft Awards?’ Every month we team up with ad industry leaders to award the finest in South African film and production craft across these different categories: Direction, Editing, Cinematography, Animation and SFX, Online, Original Sound, Sound Design and Final Mix. It’s just another way that we make it ridiculously easy to stay up-to-date with who’s doing the best work in the country.

BEST IN CRAFT (Direction)
Awarded by Greg Gray
Chicken Licken ‘Everyones talking about it – Kentucky’
Burley Boys | Katlego Baaitse

“Good ideas are usually very simple. And in a world where media saturation increases by the minute, to maximise the prominence of the brand, the craft and execution of the creative has become as important as the idea behind it. Craft isn’t always about breaking the mould and setting new standards, it’s about the best way to depict an idea, a seamless execution that engages with an audience and leaves them with the message it portrays long after it’s over. This months “Everyones talking about it-Kentucky” from Chicken Licken does all of these things in a funny, memorable and rewarding way. In what appears to be a mini-documentary about a Chicken Licken billboard in Kentucky USA, the director, Katlego Baaitse, mimics the conventions of the genre so effectively that viewers are immediately drawn in. He employs a cinematic doccie-style approach, with what appears to be authentic local interviews, underpinned by a Southern soundtrack and a well-paced edit. The way the narrative unfolds arouses the curiosity of both the viewer and the ‘documentary’s’ protagonists, and keeps them guessing until the very end. I think this is a great piece of work both in its’ idea and execution.”

– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Director Greg Gray from Romance Films

BEST IN CRAFT (Direction)
Awarded by Jake Bester

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (Direction)
Awarded by Greg Gray

South African Tourism ‘Life & Soul’
The Rudeboy Collective | monde like the world

“I’m sure most people who follow IDIDTHAT will agree, that often with movies and tv, it’s hard to fully engage without some kind of opinion based on what we’ve learned in the production process. So, maybe it was the timing, but when I first watched this piece of film, just before lockdown, I somehow viewed it as just a person watching an ad. Not somebody who made ads or had anything to do with ads. Just somebody watching one, and it’s been a long time since that happened. So like I said, it was probably the timing that put me in this mindset, but a nostalgic treatment, even though showing current times, made me appreciate all the things we have right now. Tonally, it made me feel positive going into lockdown and that everything was going to be all right. And the positivity in the performances took the edge off the fear and created a great sense of anticipation for what will be waiting for us, a reward on the other side. It was exactly what I needed to see and I think it made me feel exactly what was intended. Which is exactly what a beautifully crafted piece of film is meant to do. No matter how old or young, we are all experiencing things for the first time right now, so everything becomes a very personal account based on what we are feeling. Maybe in a different time I would have viewed the work differently, but a beautiful piece of craft is meant to make you feel something, and this made me feel something lovely right now. I’m sure it affected lots of other people the same way too. Well done.”

– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jake Bester, Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel

“During this unusual time of lockdown, the parameters of producing work have completely changed, and this, in turn, will impact on how work is crafted. It will compromise most projects’ full potential. I would like to propose a temporary category that showcases work that’s done against all odds and recognises the ability of the production industry to still produce creative, effective advertising content, albeit with constrained crafting. To jumpstart this current “Lockdown Category” I feel that Robin Goode’s “Miss” and Monde like the world’s “Life and Soul” have both managed to deliver engaging and meaningful messages to the nation under these trying circumstances. They are engaging, thought-provoking and most importantly, optimistic.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Greg Gray, Director at Romance Films

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (Direction)
Awarded by Greg Gray
Sanlam ‘Miss’
Figment Films | Robin Goode

“During this unusual time of lockdown, the parameters of producing work have completely changed, and this, in turn, will impact on how work is crafted. It will compromise most projects’ full potential. I would like to propose a temporary category that showcases work that’s done against all odds and recognises the ability of the production industry to still produce creative, effective advertising content, albeit with constrained crafting. To jumpstart this current ‘Lockdown Category’ I feel that Robin Goode’s ‘Miss’ and Monde like the world’s ‘Life and Soul’ have both managed to deliver engaging and meaningful messages to the nation under these trying circumstances. They are engaging, thought-provoking and most importantly, optimistic.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Greg Gray, Director at Romance Films

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (Direction)
Awarded by Greg Gray
‘The Hunter’ (Short Film)
7Films | Kevin Fitzgerald

“Kevin Fitzgerald’s short movie ‘The Hunter’ is a well-crafted piece of cinematic storytelling. An intriguing and ever suspenseful dramatisation of a hunter and a photojournalist’s excursion into the wild. The suspense grips you throughout, as does the filmic camera language which reinforces the drama and isolation of their plight, as the narrative unfolds.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Greg Gray, Director at Romance Films

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (Direction)
Awarded by Jake Bester & Greg Gray
Momentum Metropolitan Holdings CSI ‘Rhiza Babuyile’
Egg Films | Robin Adams

“I really liked the off-camera reading of the subject’s letter: It had a noticeable effect on the character and really brought out a great piece of performance. It also really drew me in and made me want to watch further.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jake Bester, Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel

“Two testimonial commercials that are worth a special mention, come at a time where the strength of community, hope and opportunity are giving the people of South Africa the strength to weather this storm. Justice Mukheli’s ‘Sakhumzi’ and Robin Adam’s ‘Rhiza Babuyile’ are very different in execution, but are both moving testaments to the power of strength and support in a time of need.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Greg Gray, Director at Romance Films

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (Direction)
Awarded by Greg Gray
SAT ‘Sakhumzi’
Bomb Commercials | Justice Mukheli

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (Cinematography)
Awarded by Jake Bester
Chicken Licken ‘Everyone’s talking about it – Kentucky’
Burley Boys | Barend Stofberg

“A very tight idea brought to life in this lovely piece that captures Americana in all its “glory”. Smart to only shoot there in the day too. Show off all the beautifully crafted landscapes shots and avoid bumping into “The Pikes in a dark alley. Really enjoyed this.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jake Bester, Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (Direction)
Awarded by Jake Bester
Metropolitan ‘Get Up’
The Star Film Company | Sam Sterling Court

“With these types of pieces, I always think it must be so hard for the director to make a “chosen” cast believable or a selection of “real” people watchable. Well done to Sam for doing both in this case. It was hard to tell if this was a cast or a selection of actual consumers. Good work on getting those performances and making a very used casting tape technique quite watchable both through the performances and the treatment as well. Great work for a first job.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jake Bester, Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel

CRAFT SPECIAL MENTION (FULL POST: Edit, Colour & Online)
Awarded by Greg Gray
‘Boni & Wes’ (Short Film)
Strangelove | Edit: Xander Vander, Colour: Nic Apostoli, Online: Darian Simon

“The short film ‘Boni and Wes’ finds itself back on the radar this month, and earns a special mention for the Editing, Colouring and Online contributions that were all unsung parts that helped craft a fine piece of work as a whole.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Greg Gray, Director at Romance Films

IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES:

Jake Bester – Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel
Jake has been working in the creative industry for 22 years now and has the pleasure of overseeing the creative offering at M&C Saatchi Abel Cape Town as the Executive Creative Director and partner. Prior to this, he co-founded the agency Publicis Machine and before that spent 11-years at Ogilvy Cape Town. Brands he has loved working on most include Superbalist, Adidas, Red Bull, Volkswagen, MWEB, Vans, Nando’s and Marmite. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards including Cannes and Clios, One Shows, D&AD’s, Loeries while his work both professional and personal, has been featured in various publications. His latest personal project is throwback surf brand York Surf, of which he is co-founder and creative director. Jake lives in Cape Town. Loves the city and the people in it. He also loves the internet, surfing, reading, gardening, running and squash. He has two dogs. They’re ok.

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Greg Gray – Director at Romance Films
No one has mastered the delicate balancing act between building a brand and sharing a powerful narrative quite like Greg. His understanding of how to speak to people through performance has created not only some of the world’s most awarded ads, but some of the most internationally shared, loved and appreciated slices of life of our generation. Greg has captured moments that transcend the brevity of the traditional TV spot, turning regular advertising into timeless stories. His approach to directing is to work from the heart and not from the book. With a reputation for unfailing attention to detail, it is this intense crafting that sets his work apart. At the heart of his passion for making great films is his unwavering belief that the idea is king and enjoying the reward of seeing it successfully brought to life.